CHAPTER 4. Connor #2
“I’d love to,” I say, which is very much a lie. “But the only time I’ve ever ridden a horse, it threw me off and I broke my arm.” A generously mild description of what actually happened. “So I’ve been avoiding horses ever since.”
Caroline winces. “Oh dear. That’s a shame.”
But Noah’s eyes light up, a mischievous look spreading across his face.
“It’s a great idea, Dad,” he says, then turns to me. “Don’t worry, Connor. I’ll teach you.”
The way he says teach makes me instantly wary. His eyes narrow just slightly, and I can practically see the revenge plan taking shape.
“I don’t know if that’s a good—” I start.
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Noah says quietly, angling his head closer so the words are clearly meant just for me. “Unless you’re still scared?”
Well, I am. But I’m not about to admit that to my fake boyfriend of less than twenty-four hours.
“I’m not scared,” I reply automatically.
“Good,” he says, holding my gaze. “Because I’m an excellent teacher. Very patient.”
A hint of flirtation in his voice makes warmth curl low in my stomach, pushing the memory of the accident briefly out of my head. He slips into the boyfriend role so naturally that for a second I almost forget this whole thing is supposed to be an act.
“Alright,” I say, still looking at him, a little dazed.
“Excellent,” Daniel says, clearly pleased. “Go change into something comfortable and meet us outside the cottage.”
“Perfect,” Noah says, pushing back his chair and catching my hand. “Come on. Let’s get you ready.”
His fingers close around mine, and I let him pull me to my feet, aware of Caroline watching us with undisguised delight. He steers me toward the door, and I follow, wondering exactly what I’ve gotten myself into.
The moment we step outside and start down the path toward the East Cottage, he drops my hand and turns to me with narrowed eyes.
“Never leaves his apartment?” he says, lowering his voice. “Seriously?”
“That’s not exactly wrong,” I say, unable to hide my smile. “You’re always home. You once ordered pizza three nights in a row.”
He stops walking.
“How do you know that?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Thin walls, remember?”
“That—” He closes his mouth, then tries again. “That was a busy week at work.”
“Sure it was,” I say. “I’m not judging.”
Noah sighs and nudges my shoulder. “Mom’s going to be on my case until I die now, you asshole. I’m getting you back for this.”
“Is that why you’re so excited to teach me to ride?” I ask. “Planning my downfall already?”
“I would never—” he says, pressing a hand to his chest in mock offense. Then his eyes brighten with mischief. “—let you off that easily.”
I grin at him. He watches me for a second, then grins back, clearly already plotting something.
I try very hard not to think about the horses.
***
“So the skate just sliced straight through her glove,” Maya says, making a disgusted face as she walks a few steps ahead of us on the path to the stables.
“Alex starts screaming, the medics rush in, and when they pull the glove off, her pinky’s basically hanging sideways by a strip of skin.
” She wiggles her own pinky for emphasis.
“You could actually see the bone. There was so much blood all over the ice.”
“Oh God, please stop,” Noah groans beside me.
He’s walking with both hands clamped firmly over his ears, staring straight ahead like he can escape the conversation by sheer force of will. I can’t help chuckling. My hand settles at the small of his back, guiding him over the uneven ground.
“Hands bleed like hell,” I say automatically. “They have an incredible blood supply.”
Daniel glances at me, curious rather than horrified. “Is that good or bad?”
“Both,” I say. “Great for healing. Terrible when something cuts them open like that.”
“Did they reattach it?” Daniel asks, turning to Maya.
“Yeah,” Maya says with a nod. “She lost some mobility, but it’s not too bad. Didn’t even miss the playoffs.”
“Can we please talk about literally anything else?” Noah says, finally dropping his hands. “I’m going to puke pancakes all over the place if you don’t stop.”
Maya giggles and shoots me a conspiratorial smirk. “Blood makes Noah queasy. He once fainted when he fell and cut his knee open.”
“I was seven,” Noah protests, glaring at his sister.
“You were fourteen,” Maya corrects immediately, clearly enjoying herself. “It was my fifteenth birthday, and we were at some all-you-can-eat ice cream festival in Oklahoma. After you came around, Mom kept feeding you ice cream so you wouldn’t faint again.”
“Shut up,” Noah says, though there’s no real heat in it. His face has gone slightly pink. “You’re afraid of clowns, Maya.”
“I am,” Maya says calmly. “I’m not ashamed of that. They’re creepy.”
“Everyone has something that gets to them,” I say, trying to defuse things and spare Noah a little embarrassment. “I’ve seen guys twice my size faint at the sight of blood. It’s pretty normal.”
I don’t mention that my personal nightmare weighs half a ton and bites. Which is unfortunate, considering where we’re headed.
Noah gives me a grateful look, his eyes softening in a way that catches me off guard. I quickly shift my attention back to the path ahead as we round a bend and the stables come into view—a long, low wooden building with paddocks stretching out behind it.
A weathered stable hand in a plaid shirt greets us with a nod as we approach. He has the leathery skin of someone who spends all day outdoors.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Caldwell,” he says to Daniel before looking the rest of us over. “These your folks?”
Daniel nods and reaches out to shake his hand. “That’s right. We’ll need horses for four.”
After a quick handshake, the man gestures for us to follow him inside.
The smell hits me immediately—hay, manure, and leather—and with it comes a rush of unwanted memories.
My pulse kicks up. My stomach knots as we step into the dim interior, where several large animals stand in their stalls, shifting their weight and watching us with intelligent eyes. I quickly look away.
“I’ll get you set up with boots and helmets,” the man says, leading us to a small room off to the side filled with equipment. “There are different sizes here, but let me know if you need anything else.”
Daniel and Maya go in first, get ready quickly, then step back out to give Noah and me some space.
When we step into the small room, I feel anxiety begin to bubble up in my chest. God, I haven’t felt it in so long I was almost sure I was over the whole thing.
But apparently the brain never really throws anything away.
As we try on boots, Noah drifts a little closer beside me, watching my face.
“You okay?” he asks quietly. “You look a little pale.”
“Fine,” I lie, focusing intently on tucking my jeans into the first boot.
“You mentioned you broke your arm falling off a horse,” he says, his voice low enough that only I can hear. “Was it serious?”
“Sort of.” I pause, picking up the second boot.
“Compound fracture. Took a hell of a long time to heal.” I don’t add that I still remember the sound of the bone breaking, the blinding pain, the horse wheeling back toward me like it might trample me into the ground. “It’s fine. It was a long time ago.”
Noah’s eyes stay on me, seeing more than I want him to.
“We could skip this,” he offers. “I could say I’m not feeling well.”
“No,” I say quickly, suddenly even more uneasy that he can see right through me. “I’m okay. Just nervous I’ll be bad at it. But thanks.”
Noah doesn’t look convinced. “Okay, but what if—” He pauses, clearly having an idea. “What if we ride together? Same horse?”
I look up at him. That would make this a lot easier.
“Uh…is that even allowed?”
“Sure,” he says. “They’re big horses. They can easily carry two people.” He lowers his voice. “Plus it’ll look romantic. Double points for the boyfriend charade.”
For a second I consider pretending I’d rather ride alone, but the words slip out before I can stop them.
“Okay, yeah. If that’s okay with you?”
The idea eases some of the tension in my chest.
“Of course,” Noah says, already getting up.
He walks over to the stable hand and speaks to him in low tones, gesturing briefly in my direction. After a moment the man nods, and Noah comes back with a small smile.
“All set. We’ll take one horse. I’ll handle it—you just hold on.”
The relief hits so hard I can only nod.
***
Five minutes later, we’re outside in the bright afternoon sun.
Daniel and Maya are already mounted on their horses—large, solid animals that somehow look gentle despite being more than capable of trampling someone to death.
Maya sits easily in her saddle, far too comfortable for someone who claims she hasn’t ridden in years.
Our horse is the largest of the bunch—a massive chestnut with white feathering around its ankles and a placid expression that does little to calm my nerves.
The stable hand holds the bridle while Noah swings up into the saddle with surprising grace.
He adjusts his seat, then extends a hand down to me.
“Your turn,” he says with a grin.
I stare at his hand, trying to swallow the anxiety rising in my throat.
“Connor,” Noah says softly. “Trust me.”
I nod and reach up to grasp his hand. With his help—and a boost from the stable hand—I manage to clamber awkwardly up behind him. The saddle isn’t meant for two, which leaves me perched partly on the horse’s back with nothing to hold onto except Noah himself.
“Put your arms around my waist,” he says, glancing over his shoulder.
I hesitate, then slowly wrap my arms around him. The position presses us close—my chest against his back, my thighs tight against his. He’s warm and solid against me, and I’m suddenly very aware of every point of contact between us.
“Good,” Noah says, his voice a little higher than usual. “Just hold on like that.”
Daniel turns in the saddle and gives us an amused look, but says nothing. Maya is less restrained.
“Cozy,” she calls with a smirk.
Noah ignores her and gathers the reins. “Ready?” he asks me.